Timing
by gotemsayingwow
Summary: He groaned once more and pulled her down to lay with him. He buried his head in her hair, inhaling deeply the scent of his wife. Curry, baby powder, and vanilla, the scent of Tohru Sohma, exhausted mother of his children, who had such a big heart it threw her off balance and down a flight of stairs. - Oneshot after the manga


In terms of timing, the current situation could not have happened at the worst point. A month after giving birth to their second child, Kyo Sohma's wife, Tohru, fell off the front steps in an attempt to carry a steaming hot bowl of soup to their sick neighbor and broke her right arm.

She was always clumsy, but somehow managed to avoid severe injury despite her many bumps and bruises. It wasn't the first time she fell off of those steps, but on this occasion she slipped and fell on top of her arm, crushing it between the concrete stair and her chest. The neighbor's wife, after hearing Tohru cry out, ran to the helpless woman and hoisted her up. They walked inside, where Tohru managed to slip off her soup-stained clothes around her broken arm and change.

"You really should go to the hospital, Sohma-chan," insisted the neighbor, Yui. "Your arm does not look good."

"I have no one to watch the kids," Tohru sighed, tears flooding her eyes. Kyo was at work and it was test day, she couldn't call him. She listened carefully to the baby monitor. To her luck, both kids, the newborn and the toddler, were still sleeping. Since moving away from the family, there were days that Tohru wished nothing more than to be able to call and have someone come for tea. Now, however, she _needed _someone to come and help her. Tohru explained her husband's work situation.

"Let me take you, please," Yui suggested. "Hamari can come over and watch the children. She's old enough now and you know how much she loves to play with Hajime."

Tohru wasn't totally comfortable with the idea of Yui's 15-year-old daughter watching the newborn, but she knew her oldest, Hajime, would be delighted to have playtime when he woke up. Stealing another quick listen to the monitor, she heard Hana's soft, even breathing, assuring her that her new daughter was fast asleep despite the commotion outside.

After a lengthy description of how to feed the baby when she woke up and a haphazard, left-handed scrawling of what to feed Hajime for lunch, Tohru climbed into Yui's car and they drove to the hospital. She considered sending a message to Kyo, but decided against it. She would be home before him and he was sure to leave work to help her.

She smiled softly to herself on the drive. When they initially moved here after graduation, she was in the dojo every day with Kyo. She helped clean at the end of each day, was the secretary for new members, and, on occasion, made a guest appearance in the beginner class as a large, but equally as uncoordinated student. When Hajime began to walk, she brought him over multiple times per week so that he could toddle around the dojo behind her as she worked.

She admired how her husband's patience with his students had grown in the past five years they have lived here. Becoming a dad three years ago helped. He was a kind, gentle coach who pushed the kids to achieve. At every belt test he was there, guiding his students through the forms they would need to complete. She watched as his students listened to every word he said, focused, disciplined.

With the arrival of Hana, Tohru couldn't come to the dojo but once per week. It made both Kyo and Tohru sad, but most of all it was hard on Hajime, who adored his father. Kyo's unfailing energy to play with Hajime between classes, teach him forms, and make cleaning at the end of each day fun kept Hajime rapt. And when Tohru was far along in her pregnancy and couldn't do as much to help out, she watched as father and son bonded through helping mommy with dojo chores and house chores.

Kyo insisted on staying home to help with the baby for the first two weeks. Tohru claimed to need no help, but Kyo convinced her. And for the first two weeks of Hana's life, things were absolute bliss. They did everything together, the four of them. Hana would sit in her carrier, sleeping, on the kitchen table while Tohru cooked and Hajime and Kyo would hang the clothes to dry outside the kitchen window.

Tohru marveled at her husband and her son. Hajime's bright orange hair mingled with his father's as Kyo would carry him to bed every night. His beaming brown eyes would greet her every morning, just after the sun rose, when he climbed into bed between the two of them, begging for them to get up and go with him for a walk.

But after two weeks, Tohru insisted Kyo go back to work. The truth was, they needed the money. With her no longer able to work at the dojo, they were relying on a single income. And though the head of the dojo was happy to grant Kyo more time off, he would not do so for full pay.

Even so, Kyo was home on time every day, still willing to do anything and everything to help Tohru and the children. She knew that he worried about how tired she was and how stressful it could be with the two kids at home. He worried about Hajime's energy and how having Hana would change Tohru's availability to give Hajime the attention he needed. And so upon waking up with the sun in the morning until the time he left for the dojo, Kyo was attentive, helpful, and strong. When he returned from work until the time the kids went to bed, he was the same.

They were both exhausted by the time Hajime was asleep, but it was _their _time to spend with one another. In the spring and summer, they sat together on the roof, just as they always had, only this time with a baby monitor in hand. Sometimes they would talk, swap stories of their respective days, and plan for the future. Other times, they wouldn't say a word, instead opting to hold each other's hands or rest on each other's shoulders.

In the more recent months, fall and winter, Tohru was too pregnant to be able to climb to the roof. It was an exceptionally cold and snowy winter as well, so Kyo took all the precautions to prevent her from going outside, especially alone. Instead, they snuggled indoors in front of the fireplace, which they used to save money on heating costs.

She knew he wouldn't be happy that she went out to bring soup to Yui's husband, Kaito. When Tohru told him that Kaito had fallen ill and she wanted to help, Kyo _insisted _she stay home and worry about the kids. He would help her on his days off so that she could tend to the neighbors, but when he wasn't there he needed to know she was safe.

It was a futile mission, however, because deep down Kyo knew that she wouldn't let it go. They had grown close with Yui and Kaito since living in this house and the couple watched Hajime as Tohru gave birth to Hana. Hajime adored the two of them. And Kyo knew that somehow Tohru would find a way to get involved to help out Yui.

Tohru frowned as they pulled up to the hospital. Yui dropped her in the front of the emergency room and went to park the car. To Tohru's luck, the hospital was quiet and she was taken to a room for an x-ray quickly.

The doctor confirmed her fears: her arm was badly broken. In her fall, she had managed to fracture both of the bones in her forearm. Tohru couldn't help but cry, frustrated at herself for not being more careful. Her injury required no surgery, but it guaranteed a cast for at least a month.

After three hours at the hospital, Tohru and Yui left for home. Tohru's arm was wrapped tightly in a cast and she had a prescription for a pain killer to help her discomfort. She left with a list of instructions on how to care for a broken arm and a follow-up appointment with an orthopedist in two weeks.

It was only two in the afternoon when Tohru walked in the door to be greeted by a hug from Hajime. There were still four more hours until Kyo would be home. Hamari was seated on the floor, holding a half-awake Hana with one hand and playing with Hajime and his trains with the other hand.

"You're a natural, Hamari!" Tohru praised the teen and said a silent thank you to the heavens for allowing her to walk into a calm house. Hamari reported on the day's events while Tohru prepared a to-go container of the soup she had spent the morning preparing for Kaito. Then, Tohru insisted that Hamari and Yui leave, much to their discomfort. Yui insisted that Tohru call if she needed anything. Tohru obliged and thanked the women for all of their help in the afternoon. At last, she closed the door and turned around, facing Hajime's expectant eyes and Hana's sleepy body in the bouncer.

"Mommy, can we play with trains?" Hajime asked. Trains were his latest obsession and, on the last time they went to visit with the rest of the Sohma family, his Uncle Shigure gave him a beautiful wooden train set. Hajime hadn't stopped playing with it since they'd arrived home two months ago.

"Yes, my sweet boy, until it's time for mommy to make dinner." Tohru winced as she sat on the floor. She shuffled closer to Hana's bouncy seat and tried to build a train track with only one hand. Her arm ached and she felt exhausted from everything that had happened. Despite that, she played faithfully with her energetic boy for an hour until Hana began to cry.

A pattern had emerged since Hana's birth that when Hana cried, particularly in the afternoons, Hajime would begin to cry, too. Mostly, it was due to the fact that his mother's attention was no longer on him, but rather on the baby who was, as Hajime put it 'a noise machine.' Now, with two children crying and a broken arm, Tohru wasn't quite sure what to do. Usually, she would hold Hana in the crook of one arm and stroke Hajime's hair with her free hand. Now, her only option was to quiet the crying infant first and then tend to her son.

Tohru unclasped the buttons on her shirt and began to feed Hana rather awkwardly. She realized all too quickly that she was under-coordinated for this task on the floor. She turned to the crying Hajime and said "Would you like to watch TV?"

Hajime immediately stopped crying. They had a TV in their home, though it was rarely used. Kyo and Tohru preferred to keep his young mind occupied with toys, playing outside, walks in the neighborhood, and, up until recently, dojo time. Once or twice per week, usually on Kyo's days off, they would start the morning with an hour of cartoons. It was one of Hajime's favorite parts of his young life.

Hajime scrambled to the couch and handed his mother the remote. Tohru stopped feeding Hana, resulting in screams of displeasure, as she set her down and began fumbling with the remote before a cartoon about trains popped onto the screen. Hajime was rapt.

Carefully placing a pillow on her lap, Tohru plopped Hana down and continued to feed her while watching TV with her son. Hajime's thumb found its way into his mouth and he rested his head on his mother's cast.

They watched TV for longer than she could ever remember letting Hajime watch. He was enthralled for two hours, snuggling with his mother and baby sister, watching the trains solve problems on their tiny TV.

Eventually, Tohru had to make dinner, another daunting task. She carefully placed Hana in her carrier's usual spot on the table. She left Hajime parked in front of the TV so that she could prepare a simple curry without any distractions. Kyo walked in, sweaty from his long day, just as she was finishing cooking.

Even the TV couldn't keep her son from his beloved father and Tohru giggled as Hajime leaped off the couch and bounded towards the front door into his father's arms. She heard the two boys discussing their days as Kyo took off his shoes.

"Daddy, today Hamari and I played trains while mommy got her booboo fixed and then we got to watch TV _alllllll _day, and then Hana…"Hajime nearly shouted his day at his father. Kyo stopped him before he could continue.

"Mommy's booboo?" Kyo asked. "How did mommy get a booboo?"

"She got a booboo on her arm," Hajime reported gravely.

"But _how _did she get a booboo on her arm?" Kyo inquired. Tohru grimaced from the kitchen, hearing Kyo stand up with Hajime and begin to walk towards her.

"I don't know, but she has a big big big big bandage on it." The boys turned the corner into the kitchen and Kyo gasped. He rushed over to his wife's side and inspected her bandaged arm.

"What happened?!" He asked. He could feel the anger rising in him. She had broken her arm and not called him. Logically, he knew she didn't call him because she didn't want him to come home from test day. It made him furious. He set Hajime down and took measured, even breaths. He did not want to yell at her. Hajime bounded back to the TV, blissfully unaware of his father's simmering anger.

"I slipped on the front steps," Tohru said, bracing herself for the lecture she knew she was going to get. Kyo just stared at her, waiting for more information. "I broke my arm in two places. Yui took me to the hospital." Kyo remained silent. "I didn't want to tell you because—"

"I _know _why you didn't _want _to tell me," Kyo hissed, "but that doesn't mean you _shouldn't_ tell me. Why were you out on the front steps to begin with? I told you this morning that it was icy."

"I know. I…I wanted to scrape off the ice so that it would be safe," Tohru lied. Kyo rested his head on Tohru's shoulder, frustrated. "I'm sorry," Tohru squeaked.

Kyo sat down at the table under the tatami, taking the baby out of her carrier and into his arms while he did so. He remained silent as he pondered what the hell he was going to do now, with a full-time job, two young children, and a one-armed wife.

"How long do you need to keep the cast on?" Kyo asked. Tohru turned off the TV in the living room and prompted Hajime to come to dinner. She set down three steaming bowls of curry and the family quickly prayed before eating.

"At least four weeks," Tohru said. Kyo resisted the urge to shout, instead opting for a loud groan. Hajime giggled at his father.

"_Four _weeks?" He asked.

"The doctor said I was lucky I didn't need surgery. Both fractures are minor, I just need to rest my arm," Tohru explained. Kyo groaned again.

"I can't go to work," Kyo concluded. "I'll call now and tell them what happened."

"No!" Tohru shouted too loudly. Hana began to wail. "No," she said more softly, "I can take care of it. I took care of it today."

"You left Hajime in front of the TV for three hours!" Kyo was exasperated and now had a crying baby in his arms. He began to rock Hana, shooshing her as he did so. His food remained hardly touched. "You need someone to help you."

"But you have to work," Tohru said. "You know you have to." She reached her hands out for the infant, preparing to feed her again.

Kyo sighed and took a bite of his food. "Someone has to help you. Yui and Kaito have to work and Hamari has school. They're not going to be of much help. Could we call someone from the family?"

Immediately, they both thought of Isuzu, who had since married Haru and was living in the city near the rest of the family. Haru desperately wanted children, but Rin wasn't ready. She was terrified of making mistakes. When the two of them were around Hajime, Rin was so hesitant to engage him in any way. But Rin was the only member of the family who wasn't working and who did not have children. And both Kyo and Tohru knew that if they called her in a time of need, she would happily be there to help, even if she didn't show it.

As Kyo cleaned up from dinner, Tohru placed a call to Rin. Hatsuharu picked up. "Hi, Tohru, are you finally calling to admit your love for me?" Tohru heard Rin's scoff in the background and giggled.

"No, Haru, I'm not," Tohru said. "I need to speak with Rin, please." Haru handed off the phone.

"Hello?" Rin answered.

"Hi, Rin, how are you?" Tohru asked.

"I'm fine. What's wrong?" Rin demanded, never the type to beat around the bush.

"I…well, um…_we _need some help with the children," Tohru sputtered. Rin was silent on the other end. Tohru quickly explained "Today I fell and injured myself and Kyo can't take off of work for very long and with the baby and Hajime I truly don't know what to do." She began to cry.

Though she couldn't see her, she knew Rin was tense on the other end of the line. Tohru never asked for help and Rin knew how desperate her cousins were. She sucked in a breath and said "Sure, I can come help you." Tohru heard Haru's protest in the background. The couple had a brief conversation. "I can't be there until Saturday, however, because I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow."

"No, no, no need to come, then," Tohru insisted, feeling awful for inconveniencing her cousin. "I appreciate your time, but—"

Kyo snatched the phone out of Tohru's hand. "Please come," He begged. Rin explained the situation and it was decided that Haru and Rin would come for a visit for the weekend. Haru would return home on Monday and Rin would stay for a while to help Tohru.

The evening progressed as it typically would. Kyo called in to say he wouldn't be able to attend work tomorrow. Then, he bathed Hajime while Tohru attempted to fold the laundry one-handed. She read Hajime a story while Kyo fed Hana and, once the two children were asleep, their parents collapsed into bed as well, both exhausted from the day's events.

As they were lying in bed, Kyo looked through a book, not exactly reading the contents of it, but rather thinking about how Tohru's broken arm was going to affect the next month. Tohru, meanwhile, thought about the pile of unfolded clothing on top of their wardrobe and began to softly cry.

When Kyo noticed her tears, he set his book down and immediately turned all of his attention to Tohru. Whenever she cried, it shattered his heart into a million pieces. As much as she could anger him, he couldn't stand to see her upset. He would do anything to make her stop crying. He ran his thumb under her eyes, wiping her tears on the hem of his t-shirt.

"Are you in pain?" He asked. Tohru shook her head. "Are you feeling sad?" Tohru shook her head again. "Then what's wrong?"

"The laundry…" Tohru sniffled. "I can't fold it." Kyo tried to contain his smirk, but it was hard not to laugh at the things that upset his wife. He knew how much it meant to her to keep a tidy house and now she couldn't do that one-handed.

"Is that all?" He asked.

"No," Tohru responded. "I feel so awful for having Isuzu-chan come. I'm so stupid for trying to help Yui, I should have known I was going to fall on those steps. You even warned me."

"You're not stupid," Kyo said, wiping her tears once more. "And you know Rin _wants _to help you. She loves you." Tohru nodded and leaned in for a hug. Kyo wrapped his arms around her. As he was hugging her, a thought came to his mind. "What do you mean trying to help Yui?"

Tohru paused, remembering earlier that she had told him she was trying to clear the steps. She knew that he would be upset with her if she got hurt while bringing over soup. "I was trying to help Yui clear _her_ steps," she lied again.

"No," Kyo said. "You were clearing _our _steps." He stared at her, waiting for her to admit what had actually happened. Tohru said nothing. "Were you going over to help her with Kaito?" Tohru nodded vaguely. "Were you bringing them something?"

"I made him soup," Tohru admitted quietly. Kyo flopped down onto his pillow, letting out a loud groan. He clapped his right hand over his eyes and clenched and unclenched the left hand, trying to release some tension.

"_Why_ did you do that?!" Kyo demanded, trying and failing not to raise his voice. "Tohru, you have two children now, and you _promised _you would leave Kaito be. He just has a cold. You don't need to worry about other people's families."

Tohru knotted her fingers anxiously and furrowed her brow. Her arm ached from the movement of her fingers but she couldn't help the familiar gesture of anxiety. She cast her eyes downward and Kyo chastised himself.

_You knew that she was going to do this all along, _he thought to himself. _And now you've yelled at her for a mistake._

He groaned once more and pulled her down to lay with him. He buried his head in her hair, inhaling deeply the scent of his wife. Curry, baby powder, and vanilla, the scent of Tohru Sohma, exhausted mother of his children, who had such a big heart it threw her off balance and down a flight of stairs.

"Why do you do this to me?" He asked, brushing his lips against her head. "Why must you be so devastatingly kind?" He smiled and Tohru instantly relaxed, knowing she was out of trouble for the time being. He kissed him on his chest.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I wasn't even thinking about the icy steps. The kids were napping and I seized the opportunity."

Kyo smiled as he pictured his wife, laying Hajime and Hana down in their beds for a nap and quickly rushing to the kitchen to make a pot of soup for their neighbor. He imagined her feverishly chopping vegetables while keeping her ear to the baby monitor and, without letting the soup cool, packing it up to bring next door quickly before the children woke up.

"You're so stupid," Kyo told her, though she knew he meant it lovingly. She beguiled him with her kindness and diligence. He knew it wasn't something to punish her for, even if it did greatly inconvenience them.

He laid in bed, listening to Tohru's breathing become slower and steadier as she fell into a well-deserved sleep. He closed his eyes, knowing full well that within the next five hours, they would both be up again, Tohru feeding Hana and Kyo trying to quiet Hajime back to sleep after his sister woke him up.

The following morning began as it always did, with Hajime in the bed between his parents. They had a rough night of it. Hana woke up twice and both times wouldn't fall back to sleep until she was fed and had a diaper change. After the second time Hana awoke, Hajime was unable to fall back to sleep and Kyo brought him into their bed, settling his son between himself and Tohru, coaxing him to sleep. Tohru struggled to sleep, unable to find a position where her arm didn't scream in pain. As all three of them woke up to the sun beaming in through the window, Kyo and Tohru exchanging a knowing glance at the day that was before them.

Tohru rose first and went to get Hana from her crib. She heard the baby fussing, but not yet crying, having just woken up to a full diaper and an empty stomach. As she changed her beautiful girl, she marveled at the tufts of auburn hair sprouting from atop her head—not quite Kyo's hair color and not quite Tohru's. She had Tohru's sapphire blue eyes and Kyo's steely pout. After changing her out of her dirty diaper and night clothes, she changed Hana into a warm outfit, knowing full well it would be another chilly day.

Once Hana was dressed, Tohru sat down in her rocking chair, pillow tucked into her lap, and began to feed Hana. She listened through the wall at Kyo trying desperately to get Hajime dressed for the day. Hajime was loving and kind for nearly all of his day except when his parents were trying to get him to do something. When it was time to get dressed, take a bath, get in bed, or leave the house, he could be oppositional and stubborn, not unlike his father. Kyo was not nearly as patient as Tohru in that domain, often getting in a power struggle with his son. She giggled to herself as she heard Kyo's plea "It doesn't matter what pants, any pants will do. No, Hajime, not shorts, _pants._"

Eventually, everyone clambered to the kitchen. Hana sat from her perch on the table while Hajime plopped down on the floor beneath his parents, enthralled, as always, by his trains. Tohru began to prepare breakfast, but Kyo stopped her.

"Please just rest," He begged. "Doing things with your hands is only going to make it worse, you know."

Tohru frowned, but complied, not quite sure what to do with herself. She sat down and practiced writing with her left hand.

"Hey, do you know where we keep the…shit!" Kyo had knocked the milk with his elbow and it flooded out onto the kitchen floor and Hajime's trains. Hajime immediately began crying.

Tohru leaped up and clumsily scooped up her baby boy with her left arm. Hajime blubbered "Daddy…spilled on my…trains…and now…they are…broken!" Tohru planted a kiss on top of his orange head and kicked the trains lightly with her foot.

"Look, Haji, they still work!" Tohru said, pointing to the trains rolling along in the milky puddle. "They just need to be cleaned. Come, why don't you draw while mommy cleans them?"

She set Hajime down at the table and grabbed the trains off of the floor. Kyo was angrily cleaning up the milk, grumbling about not having enough sleep. Tohru felt a large pit forming in her stomach. While Kyo worked, the children and the house were her responsibility and she loved it. Now, he had to help her with the housework _and _miss work _and _deal with Hajime's mood swings. As she cleaned the trains in the sink, she tried not to cry.

She heard Kyo approach behind her and he wrapped his arms around her waist. As frustrating as it was for her, it was equally frustrating for him watching his wife not being able to do things herself. She had always been so fiercely independent, so unwilling to let anyone else help. It was one of the reasons he loved her, but he also knew it could be a large source of stress. He planted a kiss on her neck and rested his head on her shoulder.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

"I'm okay," He responded. "Are you okay?"

"I'm okay," she melted into his arms, turning around and wrapping her arms around his neck the best she could. She knocked him in the head with her cast in doing so and giggled. "Sorry."

Tohru set Hajime's trains out to dry and began to help Kyo with breakfast when she heard a car pulling up outside. Kyo gave her a puzzled look. "Are we expecting someone today?" He asked. Tohru shook her head. If it was Yui, she would have just walked over.

Hajime bounded over to the front window, pressing his face against the glass and shouting "It's ojisan!" He shouted. He scrambled to throw on his shoes and Tohru went after him.

"Hajime wait, it's too cold and you don't have a coat on!" She shouted. Kyo ran after her.

"Tohru, do _not_ go outside on those steps again!" He demanded, reaching out to grab his wife's arm. They both watched as Hajime escaped, out the door, leaping over the front steps, with his shoes on the wrong feet, barreling into the arms of his beloved Uncle Yuki.

Yuki scooped up the boy and ruffled his hair. The boys exchanged a conversation outside and Hajime pointed to the steps, likely warning Yuki to be careful so as not to get a booboo. Kyo watched as Tohru greeted Yuki in the doorway, with a huge hug and a kiss on his cheek. After all of this time, he still felt jealous any time she showed him any affection. He grimaced at Hana, who pouted back in return.

"Kyo," Yuki said coolly.

"Yuki," Kyo responded. "To what do we owe the visit?"

"Haru called everyone in the family to tell them what happened to Miss Honda. I didn't have much to do today so I came to see if I could be of help." Tohru beamed at him, appreciative of the gesture.

"_Mrs. _Sohma is doing just fine, thanks," said Kyo, emphasizing the Mrs. with a hiss.

"Yuki-kun, it's so good to see you. Let me make some tea," Tohru scuttled off to the kitchen and Kyo followed behind, now trying to figure out how to expand breakfast for four people and an infant.

Hajime whispered to Yuki "Daddy broke my trains from Uncle Shigure." Yuki laughed, glancing at the wet trains on the counter sitting on a towel.

"What a mean daddy you have, Haji," Yuki responded, stealing a glance at Kyo's agitated face.

"Don't fill him with lies, rat, he's still innocent," Kyo seethed. Tohru arrived with a teapot and cups, right on cue. She invited Yuki to sit down.

"Haji, why don't you help daddy in the kitchen?" She suggested with a wink. Hajime scrambled out of his uncle's arms and into the kitchen to help his father. Once Yuki and Tohru were alone, Yuki asked "How are you feeling?"

"Oh, it's a little sore, but it's not too much pain," Tohru said. "How are _you_, Yuki-kun?"

Yuki had finished his university studies the previous year and had since become a statistician with the Japanese government. He worked in Tokyo, but traveled all around the country for work. He had stayed with them once or twice when in town on business and Tohru loved hosting him. It annoyed Kyo to have his wife's attention solely focused on the rat, but he couldn't feel too bad knowing they only saw each other a few times per year.

Yuki filled Tohru in on his busy work life and an update on his nephews. Machi was attending university in the same city where Ayame and Mine were now living and babysat quite frequently. She, too, would be finishing her university studies within the year and then would be moving to Tokyo to be with Yuki.

Kyo emerged from the kitchen with a steaming plate of pancakes and eggs, Hajime following closely behind, holding a single plate. As the group ate breakfast, Yuki watched Kyo attentively parent his child. Hajime insisted on cutting his own pancakes, however they ended up all over the floor and in his lap. Kyo helped the small boy clean himself up and then showed him to just rip the pancakes with his fingers. Tohru chastised the boys, saying it was not nice manners to do so. Father and son laughed as they ripped up their food and ate it with their hands.

Yuki hardly recognized the person Kyo was now, and that gave him such a sense of happiness. He had worried when they left home, imploring Kyo to _not _be stupid when it came to Tohru. Watching him interact with his child and his wife made Yuki feel complete. He knew that Tohru was safe and happy, and that's all that mattered.

In fact, Kyo even made light conversation with his old enemy, asking him about crime rates in the inner city of Tokyo. Tohru beamed when Kyo asked and Kyo responded by playfully bonking her on the head. "Not everything has to be such a special moment," Kyo told her. She grinned regardless.

After breakfast, Yuki insisted on cleaning up while Tohru fed the baby and Kyo reassembled Hajime's trains. Yuki listened to the family behind him, giggling and playing, and felt a twinge of jealousy. They really were the perfect family. He wondered if he would ever have that with Machi. Quickly, though, he shook the thought away and enjoyed the pleasant noise.

After breakfast, Hajime begged his mother and father to take him to the playground. Tohru immediately said it's too cold. Kyo said he would have to look after mommy and her booboo. But Hajime pleaded and finally, his parents gave in. Yuki offered to go with Kyo to the park with Hajime and watched as Tohru frantically bundled Hajime up. Once the tot was dressed in gloves, a hat, and three pairs of socks, she was satisfied. Kyo threw a coat over his shoulders and Yuki watched in admiration as Tohru handed him a pair of gloves and a hat.

"It's fine, it's not that cold," Kyo said, blushing slightly.

"Please wear them," Tohru insisted. "We don't need you getting sick on top of everything else." She reached up and placed the hat on top of Kyo's head, kissing him on the cheek on her way off her tiptoes. A slight blush spread across Kyo's cheeks. Tohru handed Yuki a hat and pair of gloves as well and the three boys headed on their way.

The small, neighborhood playground was quiet with no one out in the chilly weather. The second they walked through the gate, Hajime was gone, climbing to the highest possible point he could. Yuki chuckled and said "Guess he has some cat in him after all."

"Can't deny that he's mine," Kyo replied, "between the hair and the mood swings, he's definitely my son." Kyo watched as another family made their way into the park with two children, just a bit older than Hajime. Hajime ran over to them and asked if they could play.

Yuki chuckled again. "And _that _he gets from his mother."

The two men stood in slightly awkward silence for a moment, not quite sure what to do now that Hajime was enthralled with the kids on the playground. Kyo kicked a leaf on the ground. Yuki coughed.

"Are you ever going to move back?" Yuki asked. "You know Tohru misses the family."

Kyo sighed. He wrestled with this for the past five years. On the one hand, he enjoyed their autonomy and he knew she did, too. She loved working with him at the dojo and taking care of their children. She loved their neighborhood and their house that they saved up to buy. He knew that she was happy as long as they were together, but he knew she longed for the rest of the Sohma clan. And truth be told, it was lonely here. With no family around, they relied on each other for emotional support.

When Tohru went into labor with Hajime a month early, there was no one here to quell Kyo's panic or focus on Tohru when he was unable to. Sure, the family all came in hordes after his birth, but going through that fear and panic alone was a challenge for him. When Kyo became a senior teacher at the dojo, Kazuma wasn't there to praise him or congratulate him. Sure, he called him just after he told Tohru, but it wasn't the same as him being there.

And he knew Tohru was lonely. She never wanted to pester people with calls, but any time their phone rang, Tohru pounced on it like a lion. She missed her family and he missed them for her. Truthfully, he longed for the day that Kazuma would call him and say he's ready for Kyo to take over. They would be home in a heartbeat.

"I don't know," Kyo responded, exhaling and watching the steam from his breath dissipate into the cold air. "I want to. I know Tohru wants to. We need the family around, especially now."

"So why don't you?" Yuki asked.

"It's not that easy. We have a life here. We have our house. I have the dojo and the classes I teach. And Hajime knows this place. It's his home."

"That's bullshit," Yuki said. "You know if you had the chance you would be back. It is easy, but the opportunity hasn't come. Do you have to assume Kazuma's dojo? Can't you find somewhere else?"

_No, _Kyo thought. _It has to be Shishou's dojo. __**That **__is my home._ "Maybe," He responded. The two men stood in silence again. Hajime giggled with the little girl he was playing with. Kyo smiled at his son.

"So when are _you_ going to have kids?" Kyo asked, turning the tables on Yuki for a challenging conversation.

Yuki sighed. He was excited when Machi began babysitting for his nephews. Ayame and Mine gushed over Machi's babysitting skills and begged her to live with them as an au pair. But Machi wasn't confident and felt so hesitant about taking care of the boys. And when Tadashi, the youngest of the two, ended up with a cut in his chin and needed stitches, Machi immediately shut down. She felt awful and she refused to talk about it. She hadn't seen the boys since and was resistant to talk about it with Yuki. Yuki wanted nothing more than to start his life with Machi, but he knew he wanted children as well. And he wasn't sure exactly how that was going to work with someone who was terrified to be a mother.

"She's not even finished with school yet," Yuki replied. "We're in no rush." It was part of the reason Yuki wanted Kyo and Tohru to move back. He knew that Tohru would instill confidence in Machi with her calm and gentle coaching. Tohru Honda, a born mother, was a role model for everyone in the family when it came to motherhood.

Just then, Hajime slipped on a ladder up to the highest platform on the playground. He bumped his cheek on the way down and fell on his butt. Kyo sharply took in his breath, hoping that his son wasn't hurt and wanting to see if Hajime would get right back up. But it was useless. Hajime's brown eyes met Kyo's red eyes and the boy burst into tears. Yuki watched as Kyo crossed the playground, scooping his young son up and comforting him. Kyo whispered something in Hajime's ear and Hajime gasped, burying his head in his father's jacket. Kyo laughed and rubbed Hajime's cheek as the boy quieted.

"Try again," Kyo said.

"I can't," Hajime cried. "It's too high!"

"You _can_," Kyo said. "I'll help you."

He hoisted his son up onto the ladder, standing beneath him. Hajime hesitated, but then scrambled up the ladder, carefully avoiding the spot where he slipped. When he got to the top, Kyo clapped with delight and Hajime jumped for joy. Yuki smiled at the two of them.

Kyo closed the door quietly to Hajime's room, careful not to disturb him after he finally succumbed to a nap. Tohru helped Yuki through a diaper change in the next room. Kyo listened to Yuki share Machi's reservations with Tohru. Slightly annoyed, Kyo wondered why Yuki didn't just bother to tell _him_ that at the park instead of lying. But he knew that Tohru was easy to confide in. And he would never tell Yuki if that was the case with Tohru.

After laying down Hana for her nap, Tohru and Yuki folded the laundry in the bedroom and Kyo went out for a run. Tohru hated when he went for a run in the cold, but she knew it helped him stay calm and collected throughout the day, so she let it go.

"Will you stay the night, Yuki-kun?" Tohru asked, hopeful.

"I can't," said Yuki sadly. He wanted to stay. He missed her clean home and her hospitality. "I need to get back to the city. But you have company coming anyway. There's no room for me!"

"Oh, Yuki-kun, we can always make room," Tohru said. "I wish you were here more often."

"I wish you were home," Yuki replied. "Especially in your cast. We could all help if you were just a little bit closer."

Tohru felt a knot in her throat. She had been thinking the same thing all day. It would be so much easier if they were near the family. Kyo wouldn't have to feel compelled to stay home and help her. There would be cousins and friends around for Haji and Hana. Kyo would be near Kazuma and the children would get to spend time with their grandfather. Tohru exhaled, a single tear rolling down her cheek.

Yuki immediately felt guilty. "I'm so sorry, Miss Honda, I didn't mean to make you cry."

Tohru shook her head. "It's okay, you didn't. I miss home, too." She took a deep breath and continued to sort the laundry. Not one to dwell on challenging topics, she quickly changed the subject to Yuki's job. While Yuki didn't particularly _want_ to talk about work, he sensed Tohru's need for a different conversation and obliged.

Yuki left that evening, despite Tohru's pleas for him to stay just for the night, claiming he was probably tired from spending so much time with the kids. Back in bed with her husband, Tohru's mind was preoccupied. _'I wish you were home,' _Yuki had said. She did, too. She didn't even realize how much she wanted to be home until these last 24 hours.

Kyo was equally preoccupied. _'You know Tohru misses the family,' _Yuki had said. He turned to face his wife. She caught his eye and smiled softly.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Tohru asked lightly.

"I was going to say the same to you," Kyo responded.

"It was nice to see Yuki-kun today."

"Mm."

"He seems to be very happy with work."

"Mm."

"And Machi-san is almost finished with—"

"That's not what you're thinking about and you know it." Kyo sat up, leaning back against the wall. "What's on your mind?"

Tohru hesitated, trying to think about how to phrase it. "Well, you know I love our home. I'm so happy living in this house with you and seeing you work at the dojo. Hajime loves it here and—"

"No, no, no," Kyo cut her off. "Say what you feel."

"I want to move back," Tohru blurted out. "I'm sorry. I love it here, I do, and I understand that you have worked very hard for our life here and I'm so grateful for everything that we have experienced here, but—" Kyo cut her off with a sweet kiss on the lips.

"I want to move back, too," Kyo said. "I called Shishou today instead of running."

"Eh? You did? What did he say?"

Kyo smirked as he retold the story. After seeing how happy Tohru was around Yuki, he knew he needed to call Kazuma. Slipping out of the house and down the block, Kyo sat once more in the playground, placing a call to his surrogate father. After exchanging pleasantries and giving Kazuma an update on Tohru's arm, Kazuma asked "So why are you calling me?"

"Can I not just call to say hello?" Kyo responded, annoyed at his father's implication.

"No, Kyo, you cannot. Tohru appears to be able to, though," Kazuma said, laughing.

"I want to come home, Shishou," Kyo admitted, feeling as though he was a child asking for help with homework again. "It's been too much with the baby and now Tohru being injured and…we need to be around family again. I'm ready. I've seen the world. Now I want to come home."

Kazuma chuckled. "You've hardly seen the world, child. I've been waiting for this call. I spoke with Takeshi-san just last week about your progress. If you're ready, you can come home and work here again. I'll help you take over when my time comes."

Kyo let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "Thank you, Shishou, thank you."

Tohru's eyes welled up with tears. "He spoke to the current dojo master? I knew they were friends, but…" her voice trailed off. "Oh, Kyo, we don't have to move if you want to stay here. We can just visit more."

He rested his fist gently on her head. "What don't you understand, dummy? I _want _to go home. It's too cold here, anyway." Tohru giggled. "We're leaving tomorrow."

"EH?!" Tohru exclaimed. "What about the furniture? The kids' things? We don't even have a place to live!"

Kyo flashed her a winning smile. "Kidding. We'll leave in the new year. After you get that damn cast off." He wiped her eyes with his thumb. "Now stop crying."


End file.
